A New, Steamy Wuthering Heights Has Film Twitter Buzzing

Emerald Fennell’s new take on Wuthering Heights has finally been unveiled to the press ahead of its February 13 release, and the first reactions are the kind of breathless praise studios dream about. Early viewers are calling it a “bodice-ripping crowd-pleaser” and tipping it as “destined to be a massive hit,” with Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi at the center of a stormy, sensual reimagining of Emily Brontë’s classic.


Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi bring a contemporary heat to Brontë’s windswept romance. (Image: Variety promotional still)

From Promising Young Woman to the Moors: Why This Adaptation Matters

Emerald Fennell has quickly become one of the most divisive and talked‑about voices in contemporary film. After winning an Oscar for Promising Young Woman and doubling down on barbed social satire with Saltburn, her move to a 19th‑century literary romance could have seemed like a left turn—if she weren’t so clearly drawn to stories about desire, power, and class.

Wuthering Heights has been adapted for the screen repeatedly, from the 1939 Laurence Olivier classic to Andrea Arnold’s stripped‑down 2011 version. What early reactions suggest is that Fennell’s version is less dusty costume drama and more prestige‑meets‑pop, engineered as much for today’s audiences as for Brontë purists.


First Reactions: “Bodice‑Ripping Crowd‑Pleaser” & “Massive Hit” Talk

According to early press reactions reported by Variety, the buzz is unusually unified: this is big, sensual, and built to play with general audiences.

  • Critics are emphasizing the film’s unabashed sensuality and emotional excess.
  • The phrase “bodice‑ripping crowd‑pleaser” keeps surfacing, signaling an intentionally heightened tone.
  • Several reactions position it as a likely mainstream hit, not just a niche literary adaptation.
“A bodice‑ripping crowd‑pleaser that feels both unapologetically horny and surprisingly faithful to Brontë’s bleak romanticism… destined to be a massive hit.”
— Early festival reaction relayed in industry coverage

The language here is telling: studios don’t mind a little shock value if it comes wrapped in a literary IP package. Fennell seems to have delivered something that can play in multiplexes and at awards‑season Q&As alike.


The moors remain the spiritual heart of any Wuthering Heights adaptation, symbolizing wildness and emotional volatility.

Margot Robbie & Jacob Elordi: Star Power on the Moors

If Wuthering Heights lives or dies on the intensity of its central couple, early reactions suggest Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi more than rise to the challenge. The pairing is savvy: both are established box‑office draws with proven range, and each has already become a kind of cultural shorthand—Robbie for playful volatility, Elordi for brooding charisma.

  • Margot Robbie reportedly leans into Cathy’s contradictions: cruel yet vulnerable, desperate yet self‑sabotaging.
  • Jacob Elordi, coming off Priscilla and Saltburn, seems to double down on dark, unstable magnetism.
  • Critics highlight an “electric, borderline feral” chemistry that pushes the romance into obsessive territory.
“Robbie weaponizes her movie‑star charisma as Cathy, making every impulsive decision feel both inevitable and tragic, while Elordi’s Heathcliff is less a romantic hero than a walking, wounded id.”
— Early critic commentary summarized from press screenings

Two silhouetted figures facing each other on a windy hill
The film leans into Brontë’s vision of romance as something stormy, obsessive, and far from tidy fairy‑tale love.

Emerald Fennell’s Gothic Pop Aesthetic

Even without full plot breakdowns, the industry chatter points to a very Fennell‑ish blend of period detail and contemporary sensibility: heightened color palettes, knowing humor, and a willingness to lean into discomfort. Think Saltburn by way of Brontë, but with a tighter focus on doomed romance over social climbing.

  • Visual style: Lush, slightly stylized production design that keeps the moors wild but the interiors decadent.
  • Tone: A balance of sincerity and dark irony, with an emphasis on bodily desire and emotional extremity.
  • Music: Early comments hint at a possibly anachronistic or modern‑inflected score, continuing the trend of “period piece, modern mood.”
“Fennell understands that Wuthering Heights is less a polite love story than a gothic scream, and she shoots it accordingly— everything feels slightly too intense, too close, too much.”
— Paraphrased sentiment from early critical buzz

Dramatic candlelit interior of an old manor house
Early reactions tease a rich, gothic visual language that turns the family estate into a psychological battleground.

Strengths, Potential Weak Spots, and the Brontë Factor

Based on the first wave of responses, the film’s strengths line up with Fennell’s known skill set: visceral storytelling, sharp performances, and a willingness to push past tasteful restraint. But the same qualities that energize the film for some may alienate viewers expecting a more traditional, reverent adaptation.

What Early Viewers Are Loving

  • Committed, high‑voltage performances from Robbie and Elordi.
  • A bold, sensual approach that doesn’t sand down Brontë’s darker impulses.
  • Cinematic scale and polish that feel closer to event cinema than dusty heritage drama.

Where Some Viewers May Hesitate

  • Fans of strictly faithful literary adaptations may find the tone too modern or stylized.
  • Fennell’s flair for provocation could overshadow the quieter, more tragic elements of the novel.
  • The emphasis on heat and spectacle might divide critics who prefer a subtler, more interior version of the story.

Old book of classic literature on a wooden table
Literary purists will be watching closely to see how Fennell reshapes Brontë’s tangled narrative for modern audiences.

Industry Stakes: Awards, Box Office, and the IP Ecosystem

From an industry perspective, Fennell’s Wuthering Heights checks several key boxes: recognizable source material, marquee stars, a filmmaker with awards pedigree, and a marketing hook built on both romance and provocation. The early “massive hit” talk suggests that distributors see real crossover potential.

  1. Awards prospects: Performances and production design are likely to be in the awards conversation if the buzz holds.
  2. Box office play: The film is well‑positioned as a Valentine’s‑season alternative to rom‑coms—dark, adult, and star‑driven.
  3. Streaming tail: Romantic period pieces with a spicy edge tend to have long streaming legs, as Bridgerton proved.

The success of films like Challengers and TV hits like Normal People has already primed audiences for intense, sometimes uncomfortable romance as mainstream entertainment. Fennell’s film arrives at a moment when “sexy but smart” is a genuine commercial lane.


Cinema audience watching a film in a dark theater
Early “crowd‑pleaser” reactions hint that this Brontë adaptation could reach well beyond the arthouse.

Trailer, Clips, and Where to Watch More

As marketing ramps up toward the February 13 release, expect a steady drip of clips, character featurettes, and soundtrack teases. These will likely double down on the film’s central selling points: torrid chemistry, striking visuals, and that unmistakable Fennell edge.

For the latest official materials, check:

  • The film’s page on IMDb for updated trailers, stills, and credits.
  • Studio and distributor YouTube channels for HD trailers and behind‑the‑scenes videos.
  • Variety and other trade outlets for ongoing coverage, interviews, and box‑office tracking.

Final Thoughts: Is This the Definitive Modern Wuthering Heights?

It’s too early to declare any adaptation definitive, especially with a text as fiercely debated as Wuthering Heights. But the early signals are clear: Emerald Fennell hasn’t played it safe, and the combination of Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, and unapologetically heightened gothic romance is already capturing the cultural imagination.

Whether you come for Brontë, Fennell, or the star power, this looks less like homework cinema and more like an event—a stormy, sensual Valentine’s counter‑programming that could help redefine what a “classic” adaptation can be in the streaming era.


Stormy sky over rolling hills suggesting emotional turmoil
As the film’s release approaches, all signs point to a stormy season on the moors—and at the box office.

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